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Position: Safety
Height / Weight: 6'4" / 215 lbs
College: West Virginia University
NFL draft: 2011 / Round: 5 / Pick: 134
Career history: Cincinnati Bengals (2011–2013)
On January 4, 2013, Robert Sands was arrested in Florence, KY, and charged with assault in the fourth degree after allegedly assaulting his then-wife Mercedes Sands, who was eight months pregnant with his child at the time. According to the New York Times, Sands "chok[ed] her with his hand while putting his weight on her stomach." She was reportedly taken to the hospital for minor injuries. Sands told the New York Times that he did not put his hands on Mercedes and said the case was expunged and charges were dismissed after he agreed to undergo counseling.In the same 2014 interview with the New York Times, Mercedes, now Sands' ex-wife, claimed that he had assaulted her multiple times throughout their marriage. In their separate interviews for the article, Mercedes and her ex-husband both inferred—from conversations with the Cincinnati Bengals' staff—that calls to the police would make the organization look bad.Bengals coach Marvin Lewis denied these allegations at a press conference in November 2014, saying, "We did a lot to try to help the Sands. It's part of growing up. You had two young kids who didn't really have a good feel for what life is and so forth. Their relationship was very tumultuous. Mercedes doesn't have a very good memory of things… She is kind of remembering things one-sided—from her side."Sands was released from the Bengals in June 2013.Sands did not return Broadly's request for comment.
Height / Weight: 6'4" / 215 lbs
College: West Virginia University
NFL draft: 2011 / Round: 5 / Pick: 134
Career history: Cincinnati Bengals (2011–2013)
On January 4, 2013, Robert Sands was arrested in Florence, KY, and charged with assault in the fourth degree after allegedly assaulting his then-wife Mercedes Sands, who was eight months pregnant with his child at the time. According to the New York Times, Sands "chok[ed] her with his hand while putting his weight on her stomach." She was reportedly taken to the hospital for minor injuries. Sands told the New York Times that he did not put his hands on Mercedes and said the case was expunged and charges were dismissed after he agreed to undergo counseling.In the same 2014 interview with the New York Times, Mercedes, now Sands' ex-wife, claimed that he had assaulted her multiple times throughout their marriage. In their separate interviews for the article, Mercedes and her ex-husband both inferred—from conversations with the Cincinnati Bengals' staff—that calls to the police would make the organization look bad.Bengals coach Marvin Lewis denied these allegations at a press conference in November 2014, saying, "We did a lot to try to help the Sands. It's part of growing up. You had two young kids who didn't really have a good feel for what life is and so forth. Their relationship was very tumultuous. Mercedes doesn't have a very good memory of things… She is kind of remembering things one-sided—from her side."Sands was released from the Bengals in June 2013.Sands did not return Broadly's request for comment.